Comments on: Escambia Delays $12.5 Million Radio System Purchase Following Media, Safety Concerns

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 04:08:09 +0000

I am shocked on how misinformed many folks are when it comes to radios and scanners. First let me say that I am a scanner enthusiast. I have been since I was a child and will always be. As a scanner hobbyist I understand the rules and responsibility of monitoring police traffic. We do not disclose what we hear or drive to the scene of an emergency. By doing so endangers everyone. The other myth is that everyone has a scanner and is monitoring the police is false. Scanner enthusiast or Ham operators invest large amount of money in their gear. Most scanners of any capability cost $200+ for analog and $500+ for the new digital system. Most folks will not fork over this kind of cash are not going to be driving around following the police or fire. If anything my radios have helped me avoid areas where there was some kind of emergency. Another thing many readers don’t know is Florida law prohibits carrying any kind of scanner in a vehicle unless you meet certain criteria. For you average non-public servant types that means getting a Ham Radio license from the FCC. The time, effort and money spent to obtain the license are not going to be wasted chasing emergencies.
As far as the new radios are concerned, ask Okaloosa how they like there new radio system. They jumped on the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS). I don’t want to even get on that mess but you can Google it. Also see how control has changed already. See how the company says it will save the users money. It is a state wide system used by some departments now but a few have already gone back to their old or another system. And forget about interoperability. Departments will have to carry multiple radios instead of the one. Again ask Okaloosa but hey, there still using the old system patched into the new. Also Google P-25 Digital radio systems. There are many cities who upgraded and are still fighting with the manufactory because the system doesn’t work. Don’t get me wrong, P-25 is nice but only if it’s done right, the system is amazing. I could go on but I wanted to speak my mind.

By: Jim from Illinois

Jim from Illinois — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 02:22:24 +0000

Encryption: too bad, so sad.

The bigger issue is interoperability, or the designed lack of it. Illinois has their highly touted (and expensive) STARCOM 800MHz P25 trunked system. If three state troopers (with STARCOM radios on their sides) are at McDonald’s and the bank across the street gets held up, they won’t know about it until the local PD (without STARCOM) show up, red lights flashing.

The official Illinois State (and their sole-source vendor) solution? Make the PD throw away their reliable $500 radios and spend $5,000 per officer and $7,600 per car for Mother’s STARCOM radios, and pay Mother $53.00 per month per radio for the privilege of having them. And never mind that while you can scan talk groups, you can only scan two or three before the radio gets overloaded. And even if the local PD has STARCOMs, the troopers (scanning their dispatch group, statewide emergency, and the sheriff from the last county they were in) still won’t hear the local PD’s call for assistance.

By: John E Doyle

John E Doyle — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:34:06 +0000

I hope the folks over at the Escambia County Commission have read the fine print on the contract with Motorala. We here in Lake County found out after the fact that the new radio system will cost 1.5 MILLION per year to operate.
It seems this little item was overlooked. And just how did we come up with the funds to pay for it you may ask. It comes out of the pockets of some of the lower paid employees of Lake County. That’s right..they cut the work hours.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:30:05 +0000

Citizens: The police and sheriff work for YOU. Your tax dollars buy the equipment. You have not only a right but an obligation to monitor what your public employees are doing. In real time if you like.

Most police agencies welcome and encourage scanners. More crimes are solved and criminals captured from public tips by scanner listeners than are foiled by criminals with scanners. Police should operate in the light, not in the shadows. In the few cases like drug raids or sting operations where secrecy is necessary, cell phones are commonly used. One encrypted channel for these operations may be acceptable, anything more opens the door for possible abuse of the public trust.

It is up to you. You can sit there and allow your employees to operate in the shadows or you can call your county commissioner and voice your opposition to this. Hey, you elected him/her to represent YOUR interests, let them know.

By: Just An Old Soldier

Just An Old Soldier — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:49:44 +0000

For the sake of a false sense of security, stupid or ignorant people will cry out for more “protection” by the Government – and those in Government will gladly oblige if they can only work in secret, in private, without the prying eyes of the Public. “Just let them work, why should we care what or how they do things!” Just let that freedom slip away, Citizen, it’s for your own good.

Again, this isn’t a War against our own citzenry, this is America, formerly the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave…and having served Honorably under EVERY President since Gerald Ford, with the exception of the current one (Thanks be to God) both on and off the Battlefield, I am personally amazed at how easy it is to give up those Liberties, and allow a Police State to set itself up “right here in River City”….

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:26:55 +0000

REGARDING:
“How many arrests have been made where the offenders are using police scanners?”

It looks like the real question might be: How many arrests have been avoided because the offenders were using police scanners?

I doubt it’s many but that should be what they were worried about if anything.

David for public involvement

By: Walter Jinright

Walter Jinright — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:47:51 +0000

***Quote*** ” Hoxeng’s letter to commissioners called for the county to provide two radios capable of decoding the Sheriff’s Office frequencies to each media outlet operating a staffed newsroom in the Pensacola area. That, according to his letter, would include the Pensacola News Journal, the Independent News, NorthEscambia.com, WEAR-TV3, WCOA-AM, CatCountry 98.7 and NewsRadio 1620.” *** End Quote***
I also do some work for the media group, http://www.incidentpage.net . I would like to know how I may get one of the radios, that could be set to monitor only, not transmit, (at my own expense), since I do send info out to the associated press and to cover “breaking news”. I actually provide MANY, MANY tips to the local media by listening now, and that helps to get a story / stories out to media outlets and to the public. For example, I have notified WEAR TV3 with dozens of tip that helped break stories, over the last couple of years.
I would like any help I can get on how to obtain (buy) one of the radio receivers so I may continue to do so once the Sheriff’s Office goes to the new encrypted system, whether it is open sky, ProVoice, or other methods.

Thanks, I hope someone will help me out on this, I will go to Sheriff Morgan if I must to see about this matter.

Thank You,
Walter Jinright

By: someone who knows

someone who knows — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:57:48 +0000

Yes, the public has a right to know after the fact; however, for those of us who have loved ones who are responding to situations in real-time, we feel that the general public should be willing to wait on an official report in a reasonable time frame. It is not imperative for you to be entertained at home when some of the first responders’ lives may be jeopardized by your need to know. This is not about concealing actions, but more about the safety of those who serve.

By: William

William — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:41:02 +0000

>> They need to pay for them if it’s needed that bad. William, I can’t believe you would endorse anything like this. Maybe at least you’ll post this comment?

The radios have an encryption key programmed into them (like entering a password on your computer). You can’t run down to radio shack or even Motorola and buy one with the correct key. They must be provided by the county. And they could bill us for them.

By: Oversight

Oversight — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:35:07 +0000

“escambia reader” has made some very good points and let me a few more. Does the general public now monitor FHP’s or Pensacola PD’s transmissions? My guess is probably not because they are already using upgraded systems. If you want to know about traffic crashes, anyone can go to FHP’s website to see what they are working.

From a victim’s standpoint, would you want all the scanner squirrels knowing that you have a problem and thus the gossip ring gets going about you or your family? Keeping victimology in mind, how many crimes such as domestic violence assaults, rapes, or others go unreported due to a victim’s reluctance because “everybody” is going to know in an instant when the police are summoned because they heard it on the scanner? William may not report these crimes on this website, but every scanner squirrel is now armed with his or her “right” to the information.

So, let the media in on the encrypted signal. With that, I’m sure every minute of the hour of every transmission is recorded for the record and if one is compelled to have to know, then that individual can do a public records request and obtain a personal copy.

For “Just An Old Soldier” If you actually served in military capacity, how would you like to have had every radio transmission open to everyone? Would that have compromised some military operations? If you say yes, then you have to agree that the police radio warns the criminal where the police are and when they’re coming.